Fading Into the Future
by Funk Masters Chow and Chung
Summary: ONESHOT. InuKag, MirSan. The jewel is gone, they each get one wish. They thought their love could withstand anything, but they were wrong...


**Fading into the Future**

**By: Funk Master Chow**

**Disclaimer:** I, nor my accomplice, Funk Master Chung, own Inuyasha. Although we wish we did, all rights belong to Ramiko Takahashi, the brilliant mind in which Inuyasha was born. However, I'm sure she wouldn't mind us borrowing the characters for a bit… Bwa-ha-ha!

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Kagome watched as Inuyasha held the jewel in his hand. His eyelids were closed shut, hiding his brilliantly golden eyes. His brow was furrowed in concentration. They were in the middle of a field; a warm breeze was blowing, shifting Inuyasha's silver hair from side to side. Miroku and Sango were nearby as well, Shippo and Kirara were resting from the battle that had taken place earlier that day.

They had defeated Naraku. Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku had worked so hard to kill him and Kagome's sacred arrow had finished him off. His body dissipated into the air, and as a result of his death, Miroku's Kazaana had closed, Sango had avenged her father's death and set Kohaku free, and Inuyasha… Inuyasha had avenged Kikyo's wrongful demise.

Now they had the last of the jewel. It was complete. It was over. Done.

Everyone was going to work together to banish the jewel from this world forever. Inuyasha was doing his part of the purification. The jewel was going to be passed from person to person; each of them would reflect on their memories of the jewel. They didn't know any other way to purify it. Each of them would get a wish; a single wish.

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_Kikyo's death… Kagome coming into my world… Shippo's father killed for the Shikon jewel shards… Sango's family slaughtered… Miroku's Kazaana…_

Thoughts of the jewel eluded his mind. Some clouded over from time, some as clear as day.

Feeling his part was nearly complete, _I wish I could become human… to be with Kagome…_, Inuyasha wished with all his being; his heart, mind, soul, and body. Inuyasha could feel everything change. The blood in his veins felt different, like a shoe that didn't fit. His claws felt shorter, his senses were dulled; the sounds were lighter, the scents weren't as vivid.

_Did it work? Am I human?_

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Kagome was closely observing the hanyou, as well as her friends. His silver hair was getting darker. _What's happening? _Inuyasha's dog ears were growing smaller and his claws were retracting. He opened his eyes; they were no longer gold, they were brown. Kagome stared at him in amazement.

_He wished to become human… _

She caught his gaze and he looked away almost instantly. She smiled at him. She had never been more proud of him.

Inuyasha handed the jewel over to Miroku and he instantly closed his eyes as Inuyasha had.

Kagome kept her eyes on Inuyasha, hoping he would look at her again. When he didn't, she decided to turn her concentration over to Miroku.

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_Pain… Sorrow… Greed… Power…_

All emotions emitted from the Jewel of Four Souls; all negative. He concentrated all his spiritual power on the tiny orb clutched tightly in his right hand that had once held the Kazaana. It became warm from his body heat flowing into the jewel. His heart felt lighter than it had when he was a boy and he felt it was time to make his wish.

_Sango…_

_I wish to be with Sango…_

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Sango stared at the young monk sitting next to her when she heard a voice in the back of her mind, _Sango… I wish to be with Sango…_

The voice sounded remarkably like Miroku's and she thought nothing of it until he opened his eyes abruptly and stared into her eyes. She felt herself blush a shade deeper and received the jewel from Miroku.

_Was that his wish? To be with me?_

She brushed off the thought due to the questioning gaze she was receiving from her friends. She closed her eyes and thought about her losses, her friends' losses, and those who had been changed and tainted by the jewel.

_Kohaku… Father… Kikyo… Inuyasha… Miroku… Shippo… Kagome…_

_All the lives that have been destroyed by this tiny jewel I'm holding in my hand…_

Her head filled with memories of Kohaku and her father, of her village, of her friends that she now traveled with. She felt a lone tear roll down her cheek and pause at the bottom of her chin. A hand gently wiped it away and she instantly knew it was Miroku without even having to open her eyes.

He had been there, through the bad and the good. Sometimes he made the burden a little harder to carry but she would never regret it. She loved him; nothing he ever did would change that.

She made her wish and felt her heart ach at the thought.

_I wish I could be with Miroku… Forever…_

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Kagome watched as Miroku's eyes opened and he handed over the jewel to a dumbfounded Sango; she was obviously confused. She shot her a questioning gaze as well as everyone else and Sango immediately closed her eyes. All things around her seemed to be at a deadlock; the only indication that time was moving at all were the soft sounds of the breeze and small movements from her friends.

Still observing Sango she saw a single tear roll down her pale cheek. Miroku gently swiped it away with a single finger. For some reason he was on edge; he was sitting strait up with his back rigid and his jaw clenched until it started to tick.

_I wonder what his wish was…_

Sango opened her eyes and looked directly at Miroku. She shot him a brilliant smile; one that Kagome hadn't seen before. He immediately relaxed and returned the smile, he took her small hand in his and squeezed.

Sango averted her eyes to Kagome and handed over the jewel. Kagome couldn't remember a time when she was so confused.

She looked at Inuyasha in hopes of some explanation, but he looked even more confused than she did, with a disgruntled look of disgust over his features. She figured she would ask later and closed her eyes and concentrated on the jewel in her small hand.

She was in an empty, colorless room. The jewel was the only thing it contained and it floated freely in the center. She slowly and cautiously approached the jewel, as if she were ready to run if it made any sudden movements. It started to glow with a blinding light but Kagome kept approaching. She wasn't giving up now; she was the last one to do her part in the purification. She had to do this; for herself, her friends, and Inuyasha…

She took the jewel in her hands; it nearly burned her when she touched it. She forced herself to hold it tighter in her hand and squeezed as hard as she possibly could. Kagome concentrated her spiritual powers on the jewel and felt it burst into tiny grains in her hand; it now felt like a handful of sand. The small grains filtered through her slender fingers and dropped into nothing.

As the last piece fell, _I wish…_

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She opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her empty hand.

"It's gone…" came from Miroku, still holding onto Sango.

"Its over with," Kagome replied, looking at the hanyou next to her, "You wished to be human? Why?"

Inuyasha was obviously surprised at the question and hesitated for a moment. He shot a look of warning to Miroku and Sango. The two got up and walked across the field. "Kagome… I did it… for you…" he choked out with a huge amount of difficulty, looking ashamed. He blushed and looked at the ground beneath him.

Kagome looked shell- shocked. She stared blankly at him with her mouth partially opened in shock. When his words soaked in, she smiled from ear to ear and lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha let out a yelp as Kagome came crashing down on top of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they tumbled down a small, grassy hill behind them.

When they finally came to a stop, Kagome was sprawled on top of Inuyasha with a sparkle in her eye. He was worried that the last fall gave her some head trauma; she had a mischievous smile on her lips and she was too close to him. Her scent surrounded him and he was dangerously intoxicated by her.

She looked down at him and kissed him so fast; neither one of them were expecting it. Their lips touched and a shock went through them both; shivers went up and down her spine as the kiss deepened. He tightened his grip on her waist and brought her closer to him. They explored each other and connected in a way that they lost track of time.

A voice in the distance shouted, "Don't you need air!" came from Miroku. Both Inuyasha and Kagome forgot that their friends were nearby watching every move they made. Kagome pulled away and looked up to see Miroku and Sango with Shippo on the ground with a look of disgust. Kirara was flying overhead observing them as well. Kagome reluctantly got off of Inuyasha and offered a hand. He took it even though he didn't need it. Once they were on their feet, Inuyasha kept Kagome's hand in his, while their cheeks reddened to a dark crimson.

They joined Miroku and Sango across the field in silence. "That was some kiss, Kagome," Miroku smiled, very proud of himself.

Kagome darkened even more to a shade that matched Inuyasha's kimono in response.

Sango playfully punched Miroku in the arm and smiled, despite herself. The rest of the journey commenced in silence.

Kagome was trying to concentrate on her footsteps instead of her hand in Inuyasha's. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, she heard a car honking.

_Was that a car? How is that possible?_

"Did you guys hear that?" Kagome looked around at her friends.

"The only thing I heard was you and Inuyasha," Miroku said, adding a smooching sound with his lips. Sango started laughing hysterically and tried to cover the sound with her hand.

"Shut up, Miroku, you lecher!" Inuyasha shouted. Sango's laughs disappeared almost instantaneously and the remainder of their journey to the village was quiet; all the while Kagome pondering the origin of the sound.

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That night Miroku and Sango announced their engagement; Kagome couldn't have been happier for them.

"So, how soon are you going to have kids?" Kagome asked.

Sango blushed and looked at the floor. "How soon can we get married, Kaede?" Miroku asked, countering Kagome's question with his own directed at the old priestess.

Kaede raised an eyebrow at the young monk, "A few days…" Miroku smiled and looked at Kagome, "In nine months, Kagome," Miroku replied.

"Feh!" came from Inuyasha in the corner, trying his best to stay out of the conversation. He was still too mortified of the kiss that had taken place a few hours earlier. He was more scared to say anything for Miroku's teasing and never letting it die.

Kagome ignored him and continued with her interrogation of the couple until well after midnight.

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Stretching her arms above her head and then covering a yawn with the back of her hand, Kagome wiggled into her sleeping bag laid out on the floor in front of the fire in Kaede's small hut. She couldn't be happier for her two friends and their impending marriage. She was thrilled; she couldn't wait to baby-sit for their numerous children in their future. Visions of the future came to her before she was drifting off to sleep when she heard sounds of the street; footsteps on sidewalks and cars moving fast on the road. She sat up strait and looked around. Inuyasha stirred at her movement in the corner.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh… Nothing," she hesitated and snuggled back into her sleeping bag. She had to find the reason for the sounds coming from nowhere; sounds of the future, sounds of her time.

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Kagome got out of her sleeping bag and started rolling it up at dawn. She had given up on sleep hours ago when the sounds wouldn't go away.

She looked around at her friends rising from sleep and rubbing their waking eyes.

"Good morning," she said directing it at no one in particular.

When no one replied she tried again, louder, "Good morning."

Like before, no one replied. She thought nothing of it and the sounds became shooting at her from all sides. It was giving her a headache. She sat on the floor of the hut and rubbed her temples. When she looked up, everyone and everything appeared transparent. She could see solid images of the future and the past was fading. Kagome started to panic and looked over at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, what's happening?" she shouted but he didn't hear her. She got up and ran over to him. She caught his eye and he looked at her in horror.

He grabbed her and carried her out of the hut. He stopped a short distance away from the village and put her on her feet again.

He was mouthing words that she couldn't discern. He caught on to her confused look and mouthed, "I love you," and took her fading form in his strong arms. She relaxed against him and looked up into his face. They embraced in a kiss one last time as Kagome fell through him to the ground. She looked up to see the shrine and Inuyasha gone.

Her journey with Inuyasha had ended; she was the last to realize this. As his form dissipated before her eyes, she had never loved him so much as she did at that moment. She was now in tears on the path to her home; the Higurashi shrine.

She had a long road ahead of her. She would live her life with Inuyasha always in mind and locked away in her heart. She would live for him; she would put one foot in front of the other, she would keep going… all for him.

She stood and brushed herself off. Salty tears streaming freely down her face as she made her way back to her home.

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_A/N: _

_This was a possible ending for the Inuyasha series. I don't like the ending so much; I wasn't in a very good mood when I wrote it but, hey, I think it's worth posting._

_-Funk Master Chow-_


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